Vegan| Gluten Free | Soy-free

Packed with powerful antioxidants, fibers, plant-based proteins, and most importantly, no added sugars, this smoothie is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth while still being completely healthy. This is my favorite breakfast smoothie for several reasons: 1. Chocolate (obvs), 2. Keeps me full for a really long time, and 3. (I think) Cherries are my favorite fruit.

I think I don’t acknowledge cherries as much on my blog because they’re really hard to find here; I mean, I haven’t seen them in bulk in over a year. I would honestly prefer buying them in bulk, pitting them, and then freeze them. For now, I’m sticking to buying them frozen.

Now I would have this smoothie every day, but I kind of don’t want to ruin its magic, so I only have it on the weekends. And by magic I mean it’s richness and heavenly creaminess. I find it to be a super filling, gives me tons of energy, and it keeps my chocolate craving in check. For me, it works amazingly well as a breakfast, but it can also work as a healthy snack, for a post-workout boost or good-night meal.

For this smoothie, I used frozen bananas as a base for natural sweetness and it also gives it the creamy texture. I also used frozen cherries, raw cacao powder, chia seeds and cacao nibs, that enriched the smoothie with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Notes:

• Want more nutrition? Try adding ¼ cup of oats.
• Want less chocolaty flavor? Just add 1 tbsp of cacao powder instead.
• Want more heavenly creaminess? Add 2 bananas instead of  1½.
• Don’t like the banana flavor? Switch for your favorite vegan vanilla ice cream!

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Choco-Cherry Vegan Shake

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Serves: 1-2 Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 5 Minutes 5 Minutes Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 ½ frozen bananas
• ½ cup frozen cherries
• 1 cup of plant-based milk of choice (I use coconut milk)
• 2 tbsp cacao powder
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp cacao nibs
• Chocolate sauce: melt ½ tbsp of coconut oil + 1 tbsp cacao powder + 1 tsp maple syrup

Procedure

1. Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth.
2. Mix the chocolate sauce ingredients and add some to the bottom of your smoothie glass.
3. Pour the shake to the glass, and ENJOY!

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Vegan | Gluten-free | Soy-free 

I’m often asked what I pack for lunch when I meal prep. My answer? Portable and easy meals! Always go simple, with minimal meals that are easy to carry when you’re on the go. Today, I bring you a classic: Garden Chickpea Salad. You can have this with some multigrain chips, or as my favorite, a sandwich; this is essential for heading off to school or work for the day.

This Garden Chickpea Salad is an easy, satisfying, and delicious vegan alternative to the usual non-vegan sandwich fillers. It’s so refreshing and flavorful, that it puts every tuna or chicken salad ever made put to shame.

With easy to find (& grow) ingredients, you can make an entire week worth of lunch for just under $10 in just 15 minutes! However, this Garden Chickpea Salad offers endless possibilities; you can easily customize this recipe by using other veggies, herbs & spices, and dare I say berries (?), that you might already have in your kitchen.

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Garden Chickpea Salad

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Serves: 2 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 5 Minutes 5 Minutes Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup Chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• ½ cup shredded carrot
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• ½ red onion, finely diced
• ½ cup bell peppers, chopped
• ½ cucumber, chopped & seeded
• ¼ cup Vegan Mayo (I used Just Mayo)
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Garlic powder, onion powder, & paprika, to taste

Procedure

1. Drain and rinse your chickpeas and add them to a large bowl. Roughly mash the chickpeas with a potato masher or fork. I like to leave some chunks of the chickpeas in there.
2. Add the carrot, celery, onion, bell peppers & cucumber and mix well. NOTE: remember to remove the center of the cucumber (seeds & gooey part), otherwise after a couple of days there will be some liquid in your salad.
3. Mix in the vegan mayo, as well as the herbs, spices & lemon juice.
4. Serve with some multigrain chips or as a sandwich, and ENJOY!

Did You Make This Recipe?

How you went with my recipes? Tag me on Instagram at @veggiejeva

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.

When you leave feedback it helps me improve and grow, leave me a comment below. If you have Pinterest, you can find me here and Pin the following picture, if you like!

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Vegan | Gluten-free | Soy-free

I’m a big fan of coconut treats, and this recipe ticks all the boxes: simple, few ingredients & cost effective. They’re not raw, but they don’t require any baking, and they come together with only 6 ingredients. Most importantly, they are intensely, supremely satisfying, seriously addictive and take minutes to whip up! Once you bite into these chewy coconut bars you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about!

Are these Coconut Bars healthy?

Amazingly, yes! They contain lots of good fats: desiccated coconut, coconut cream, coconut oil & nuts.

But what about the sugar?

For this recipe, I used date syrup, which is less sweet than agave, honey, or maple syrup. Its benefits include low-Glycemic index food, high fiber content, & 78% invert sugar. However, if you can’t find date sugar, natural maple syrup will work just fine.

Variations:

• Trade the macadamia nuts for cashews or almonds
• Cover the bars in chocolate to create vegan mound bars!
• Try adding dried berries to the mix: cranberries or goji berries

Keep them in the fridge and serve straight from there. They will stay fresh for a week (or even longer) when kept stored in a covered container, though let’s face it, they will never last that long!

Recipe: Macadamia-Coconut Bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded coconut (unsweetened)
• ½ cup raw macadamia nuts
• ½ cup raw cashews
• ⅓ cup coconut cream
• Optional: 4 tbsp coconut oil
• Optional: date, agave or maple syrup (to taste)

Procedure:

1. Blend all ingredients in a food processor.
2. Line 8×4 pan with parchment paper & press down coconut mix.
3. Place in the fridge for approximately 20 minutes and let set.
4. Remove from fridge & cut into bars.

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.

When you leave feedback it helps me improve and grow, leave me a comment below.

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Vegan | Gluten-free | SOS-friendly | Soy-free | Raw

Need a quick chocolate fix? This chocolate mousse is a combination of healthy and delicious ingredients that come together quickly to create a rich and silky smooth pudding. If you’ve never tried chocolate avocado mousse before, this recipe will take you completely by surprise!

The thing about this recipe is that it’s so simple to make. All you need is: a couple of avocados, a splash of plant milk, sweetener of choice, raw cacao powder, chia, salt, and a bit of lemon juice. Throw everything a blender or food processor, and mix until creamy and smooth. Avocados will give you that rich smooth creamy texture, the chia powder will work as a thickening agent, and the rest of the ingredients will give you that deep chocolate goodness you want!

The best part? This recipe tastes like a dessert but made with all real ingredients from nature, making it good enough for breakfast, packed with all sorts of nutrients that make you feel good!   

As for the taste? Don’t worry, avocados don’t have much of a taste, to begin with, you’ll only get a faint hint of it, but this will also depend on how much cacao powder you put into it.

Get creative with this recipe:

• Add mint extract and some mint leaves to make this a Mint Chocolate Mousse.
• Freeze to make fudgesicles!
• Make this into a pie: prepare the crust and scoop the mousse mixture into it.

Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe avocados
• ¼ cup cacao powder
• ¾ cup plant-based milk of choice
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• ¾ cup sweetener of choice, or to taste (I used date caramel)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Dash of Himalayan salt

Procedure:

1. Halve the avocados and scoop the flesh into a food processor or blender.
2. Add the plant-based milk, cacao powder, chia, sweetener of choice, salt and vanilla extract.
3. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust with extra sweetener if needed.
4. Spoon the avocado chocolate mousse into glasses or ramekins.
5. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
6. Serve plain or topped with cacao nibs, fresh berries, and/or whipped coconut cream.

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.

When you leave feedback it helps me improve and grow, leave me a comment below.

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Dairy-free | Soy-free | Gluten-free

It’s finally December! My classes are finally over and I’m one step closer to finish my Masters. As soon as my classes ended I made my way to Mexico City, so while you’re reading this, I’m working on the next Vegan Travel Guide! And also eating my weight in tacos…

However, December also means that it’s time to veganize all of my favorite traditional recipes and master them so that you & I don’t have to miss out where the heart of the party is. Puerto Rico’s Christmas cuisine is amazing! There are so many recipes ranging from appetizers to dessert. And today I’m bringing you the vegan recipe of one of our classics: Arroz con Dulce.

The literal translation of this is “sweet rice”, but in a not literal way, Arroz con Dulce is a sweet rice pudding. Traditionally made with a combination of evaporated milk and coconut milk, this recipe only has coconut milk! Also, Arroz con Dulce is one of those desserts that you have to make in big batches, if not, you’ll be left without it because your family & friends will devour every bit of it.

Although Arroz con Dulce is super easy to make, the process takes a bit of time. However, it’s absolutely delicious and it makes a good amount for you to share. It’s a very similar process to making Risotto, so patience is key.

Notes:

• Even though the ground flaxseed is optional, I believe this is what gives it the soft yet compact texture.
• If you don’t like raisins, try adding other dry berries instead. Ex. cranberries, goji berries…
• Always use organic sugar to make sure that it’s vegan.
• Lifehack: That tea is also good for fighting the flu, colds and sometimes bellyaches.
• I prefer to let the rice soak through the day for a good 6-12 hours and then cook it at night one day before serving; just because I believe that the longer that’s left on the fridge, the better the flavors mend together.
• Got leftovers? Even though this rarely happens, if you get leftovers, they’ll be good for about a week.

Recipe: Vegan Arroz con Dulce

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup short or medium grain rice
• 5 cups full fat coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 ½ cup sugar of choice, or to taste (I used brown sugar)
• 1 piece of ginger
• 10 cloves
• 5 cinnamon sticks
• Dash of salt
• ⅓ cup raisins, or to taste
• 2 tbsp non-dairy butter
• Ground cinnamon
• Optional: a dash of ground flaxseed

Procedure:

• Soak rice in water for about 6-12 hours, leave covered. This is best if you leave it overnight.
• In a boiling pot, add the 1 cup of water, crushed ginger, cloves & cinnamon. Boil to make tea for about 15 minutes. When ready strain to separate the tea, place aside. Save cinnamon sticks for later.
• Strain your soaked rice and place aside.
• To a rice cooking pot, add the tea, 4 cups of the coconut milk and dash of salt. Turn on the heat to high.
• When the tea-milk mixture is boiling, add the rice and lower the heat to medium. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
• Uncover, add ½ cup of coconut milk, stir in the sugar and dash of ground flaxseed. Cook to low heat for another 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Then add the other ½ cup of coconut milk and the non-dairy butter. When completely combined, add the raisins & take away from the heat.
• Place in a heat-safe container, top with dashes of ground cinnamon and allow to cool completely before storing in the fridge, covered. Optional: If you saved the cinnamon sticks from the tea, you can add them to the container too.

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.

When you leave feedback it helps me improve and grow, leave me a comment below.

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This may come as a surprise to most of you, but most alcohol isn’t vegan. And I’m shocked to find out the number of vegans that don’t know this. I mean, if you research the hell out of the food you’re about to consume, why not do the same with your drinks? According to the Vegetarian Society, it’s very common for beverages like beer and wine to be clarified using a variety of animal-derived products. These products used in the production of alcohol include albumin (from egg whites), casein (from milk), chitin (from the shells of crabs, lobsters, etc), gelatine (from bones and tissues), isinglass (from fish swim bladders), and many more.

This includes Beer, Cider, Wine/Fortified Wines, & Spirits/Liqueurs. “What? No way!” Unfortunately, this is very true. “But how was I supposed to know?” Yes! Exactly how were we supposed to know this since there is no regulation that requires alcoholic beverages to establish their ingredients on their labels? Don’t worry, this was my reaction at first as well, it’s all wrong and sketchy.

However, finding vegan alcohol is not impossible. You’ll be surprised to see that a couple of commercial alcoholic drinks are, in fact, vegan. And also, according to Vegan.com “every brand of hard liquor—bourbon, whiskey, vodka, gin, and rum—is vegan. Nearly all distilled spirits are vegan except for cream-based liqueurs and products that mention honey on the label.” But you do have to do some research since beer and wine are the most popular, but also the most prone to be processed using animal products such as isinglass, egg whites, or gelatin.

Lucky for us there’s this really amazing site called Barnivore, which has done 95% of this research. You can check the vegan status of most popular alcoholic beverages on Barnivore, which has been amazing at maintaining an updated vegan alcohol list. Go over to their page to check out if your favorite drink is vegan!

All that being said, alcoholic drinks are fun and nice from time to time; however, it’s important to mention that alcohol dependency is no joking matter. In the USA alone, alcohol kills 88,000 people annually, nearly 20,000 Americans who die each year from alcohol-related diseases, and 10,000 killed in drinking-related car accidents. In Puerto Rico, according to a study run by ASSMCA, 1 out of 8 people, nearly 350,000 suffer from alcohol abuse; and nearly 140,000 people have alcohol dependency. According to Vegan.com, “Numerous studies have found that alcohol is associated with about half of all cases of domestic violence and sexual assault.” Regular drinking is also linked to colon cancer.

So if you’re going to use alcohol, keep those things in mind, please be careful, and give it adequate respect.

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Dairy-free | Gluten-free | Soy-free| No-bake

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, the day to celebrate all of the fall foods, especially pumpkins. I figured out the most decadent fall dessert to let the season go with a bang! This would make the perfect dessert for holiday parties and fall gatherings.

Last week I shared my Vegan Thanksgiving recipes, and I promised that this week was going to be all about the dessert. So, here it is Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake! Back in high school, I discovered how perfect pumpkin pie is; no joke I could eat half of that Costco pie. But all that dairy and sugar? The perfect recipe for a tummy ache.

This year I wanted to try to make it, but I have to admit, I’m no pie baker. I definitely still need some practice. So I thought what else can I make, that it’s not traditional?

After seeing how successful my No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake was, I knew I had to make a fall version. Now, the idea of a vegan cheesecake is nothing new, I know. However, in all of the cashew cheesecake experimentation I’ve done so far through my vegan journey, I haven’t touched on pumpkin yet. And so, Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake was born! Creamy, rich, subtly spiced, and just the right amount of sweetness, filled with good healthy fats, protein, and fiber!

Oh, and did I mention that this is a no-bake recipe? Yup, just assemble the crust, blend the filling ingredients, and pop in the freezer for a couple of hours.

Now, let’s talk about the crust. I got two words for you: scrumptious & comforting. For this, I decided to go off the beaten path and created a crust by combining nuts, berries, and dates, making this cheesecake crust naturally sweet and hearty. However, you can totally try this with a more traditional graham cracker crust or make another creative crust, make it your own!

This was a hit among my family, my mom even said that this might be my best dessert yet!

The best part? You can have it for breakfast without an inch of guilt. Instead of having a slice with heavy dairy and sugar, you’ll have nuts, maple syrup & coconut. I hope you’ll love this as much as much as I did! 

Recipe: Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:

• ½ cup cranberries
• 1 cup medjool dates, pitted
• 1 cup walnuts
• ½ cup cashews
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds
• Optional: ½ cup coconut flakes
• Pinch of sea salt

Cheesecake Filling:

• 1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked & drained
• 1 lemon, juiced (approx. 2 Tbsp)
• ⅓  cup light or full-fat coconut milk
• 3 tbsp coconut oil
• ½ cup maple syrup or light agave nectar (plus more to taste)
• ⅓  cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• cinnamon, to taste
• Pinch sea salt

Optional Toppings:

• Coconut whipped cream
• Cranberries
• Cherries (my fave)
• More cinnamon
• Pumpkin seeds

Procedure:

1. Line an 8″ diameter x 2.4″ depth Springform Pan (or 8×8 removable bottom pan) with parchment paper.
2. To a food processor, add dates and cranberries and blend until it forms a ball. Remove and set aside.
3. Then add the walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes and salt to food processor and process into a meal. Add back the dates and blend until a loose dough forms – it should stick together when you squeeze a bit between your fingers. Tip: if too crumbly, add a few more dates,  if too sticky, add more nuts.
4. Add the crust dough to the pan, and press down with fingers to evenly distribute or use the back of a spoon to press down firmly. Also allow some of the crust to come up the sides, evenly. Set in the freezer.
5. After the cashews are soaked and drained, add to food processor with the other filling ingredients and blend until very smooth; this might take 3-5 minutes. If you find that the mixture is too thick or you have some trouble blending, add some more coconut milk.
6. After it’s completely smooth, taste and adjusts flavor/sweetness to your preference. Here you can add a bit more pumpkin puree, cinnamon, vanilla and/or maple syrup.
7. Pour filling into your parchment-lined pan. Tap a few times to release any air bubbles, then cover loosely with plastic wrap or aluminum paper and freeze until firm; for about 4-6 hours, depending on the size of the dish.
8. Once set, leave out of the freezer for a couple of minutes before serving, to soften up a bit.
9. Serve with your favorite toppings. I chose frozen cherries, and it was heaven!
10. Store leftovers in the freezer for 7-10 days, though let’s be honest, it will not last that long.
11. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.

When you leave feedback it helps me improve and grow, leave me a comment below.

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Fall is still weeks away, but with this rainy weather lately, all I can this about is fall recipes! When it rains all day there’s nothing better than warming up with comfort food. Also, everybody seems to be getting sick, that’s why I created this immune-boosting carrot & squash soup with potatoes, garlic, cinnamon & ginger.

This soup is healthy, nourishing and super comforting; with minimal hands-on prep time, it’s easy and takes about 20 minutes to make. That’s the beauty of this soup and it makes 2 servings, but with a lot of commitment, it can be just for one (lol). Also, isn’t the color so beautiful?

I garnished the soup with some roasted garlic

Immune boosting ingredients:

• Carrot: An excellent source of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. It’s also a good source of several B-vitamins, vitamin K, and potassium.
• Garlic: Helps prevent and reduce the severity of common illnesses like the flu and common cold.
• Cayenne: It can help improve your digestive health and reduce your risk of stomach ulcers.
• Turmeric: Curcumin has powerful antioxidant effects, it neutralizes free radicals on its own but also stimulates your body’s own antioxidant enzymes.
• Ginger: A popular spice, high in gingerol, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
• Cinnamon: Has antifungal and antibacterial properties, which may reduce infections and help fight tooth decay and bad breath.

Recipe: Carrot & Squash Soup

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 cup liquid of choice (water, vegetable broth, plant milk)
• 1 russet potato
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup squash, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• Dash of nutritional yeast (optional)
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Procedure

1. Bring water to a boil in a pot. Add potatoes, carrots & squash. Boil until tender; to test doneness pierce with a fork.
2. Drain and place in a food processor or heat-safe blender. Blend until completely smooth.
3. Add the garlic and the rest of the spices.
4. Serve, garnish as desired, and enjoy!

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.

When you leave feedback it helps me improve and grow, leave me a comment below.

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Today officially marks the beginning of my birthday weekend! (HEY FELLOW LEO’S!!!) We don’t have a lot planned out, we’re just going to have a celebratory dinner at my favorite local plant-based restaurant, El Grifo. I have so much to celebrate, not just my birthday. A year ago, everything was so different: I graduated with a BA, I quit a job I hated & started a job I love, and I started Grad School. So many crazy changes happened this week last year, and even though it’s an ongoing challenge, I’m grateful for those changes.

Anyways, on to today’s recipe! Matcha Pancakes with Raspberry-Coconut Yogurt. Yes, they’re as heavenly as it sounds. If you know me, I don’t usually do pancakes, I’m more of fruit smoothies for breakfast kind of person; I’ve been for four years now. But special occasions call for pancakes!

I decided to go with matcha pancakes instead of the traditional route, as a challenge for myself. I’m trying to bring more unusual & creative recipes, for you, my readers. Plus, matcha is a great way to start incorporating more green foods into your diet.   

Why matcha? Matcha is actually in the green tea range, and it’s super powerful. It’s a great source of fiber, vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc, and magnesium and it fights against viruses and bacteria. It also works as an antioxidant, boosts your metabolism, helps with detoxifying the body, aids in concentration lowers cholesterol and blood sugar.

Give yourself a boost of antioxidants with these sweet, yet healthy pancakes!

Recipe: Matcha Pancakes with Raspberry-Coconut Yogurt

Makes 10-13 pancakes

Ingredients

For Pancakes:

• 1 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1  tbsp matcha green tea powder
• 1  tsp ground chia seeds
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp agave syrup (or as needed)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup plant milk
• Cooking spray

For Yogurt

• 5 oz coconut yogurt
• ½ cup raspberries

My toppings

• Coconut Chips
• Raspberries
• Goji Berries

Procedure

1. Mix all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients, and mix thoroughly.
2. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat. Spray cooking spray on the hot pan or grease with a little bit of coconut oil.
3. Add about ⅓ cup of batter onto pan per pancake. Depending upon the size of the pan, you can cook more than one pancake at a time.
4. While the bottom side of the pancakes cooks, I added goji berries & coconut flakes.
5. Flip each pancake after bubbles form and turn golden brown on the underside. Cook the other side until golden brown.
6. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Top with sliced banana and coconut chips. Serve with maple syrup.
7. While the pancakes are cooking, add to a blender the coconut yogurt & raspberries. Blend until completely smooth.
8. Serve, add your desired toppings, and enjoy!

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.

When you leave feedback it helps me improve and grow, leave me a comment below.

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Depending on who you ask, smoothies can be very boring or extremely satisfying. I’m more on the satisfied side. Let’s start with the basics: for the right person, the right smoothie can be a perfect choice, and not all smoothies are healthy. I’m talking about fruit smoothies, and not “shakes” commonly known for milkshakes (with dairy ice cream, sugary chocolate, weird syrups, and all of that unhealthy jazz). There are certain qualifiers that are important (for me): my morning smoothies have to be completely raw. That means, no processed stuff, no added sugar, and certainly no commercial protein powders; just completely based on fruit, vegetables, nuts and/or oats.

What are my favorite benefits?

• Energy boost: You’re going to have lots of morning-energy! Of course, this has to be combined with sleep habits & a semi-active lifestyle.
• Digestion aid: Eating raw in the morning helps for digestive efficiency and normal bowel function. I can not stress this enough, this will change the way your body functions completely, for the best!
• Boost metabolism: Gain more energy & nutrient absorption, this helps improve toxin removal.
• Quick to prepare: Weekday mornings for me are completely rushed. Having a smoothie really helps saving time since is super fast to make, but I can also drink it while I’m getting ready for work.

Yes, some people and/or so-called nutritionists will warn you “THAT’S A LOT OF SUGAR!” or something else that revolves around sugar consumption. But let me tell you right now, that is just a myth. There’s a clear difference between glucose and fructose; glucose in excess is bad; an excess of glucose with fructose is also bad; but fructose per se is not bad at all. Just ask the dozens of people who have managed to reverse multiple conditions and illnesses, by eating completely plant-based, like myself when I was diagnosed with Prediabetes seven years ago (also watch Forks Over Knives).

Ready to give this a try? Let’s get more into specifics. Quantity is very important. A small fruit smoothie is not going to keep you full all morning; this is something that takes some time to get used to. When I started, I couldn’t handle more than 12 oz of a fruit smoothie at the same time; I was so used to carb-y breakfast that I got full very easily but that didn’t last long at all. So, I started training myself into drinking more each week, until I finally hit the perfect quantity for me, which is around 20 oz.

What are the do’s and don’ts?

• ProteinDon’t: Commercial protein powders are filled with highly processed ingredients.
• • Do: Use natural sources of protein instead to help sustain your energy throughout the day.A small dose of raw peanut butter or a tablespoon of flaxseed is a great way of adding protein to a smoothie.
• SweetnessDon’t: Processed sugar helps no-one. Avoid adding sugar to your smoothie in any form, whether it comes from canned fruit or flavored yogurt. Plus, you’re likely to crash later in the day.
• • Do: Use fresh or frozen fruits should naturally sweeten your smoothie. You can also try adding beets or dates.
• GreenDon’t: Jumping straight to kale. This greeny leaf tends to be very bitter, you’ll end up disappointing yourself.
• • Do: Start with some spinach, as it’s easy to mask the flavor.
• LiquidsDon’t: Go with commercial fruit juices. These juices tend to have a lot of processed sugar.
• • Do: I personally just go with water, but a fresh unprocessed juice can be great for added nutritional value.

What to add to your smoothies for extra nutritional value?

• Ground flaxseed
• Chia seeds
• Spirulina
• Maca powder
• Cacao or carob powder

VeggieJeva’s Tips:

• Bananas are a great base for smoothies, freeze them to give your smoothies an ice cream-like texture.
• Although fresh berries are ideal, frozen berries last way longer and can save you some money in the long run.
• Invest in a high-speed blender, my favorite one is Ninja Blender. Honestly, I used to have a cheap $30 blender that didn’t do its job properly, and always ended up being a pain. I’ve been using my Ninja for 3 years now, and it’s still good as new.

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